Chapter 170 Desperate Situation
Because it was a mountain road and they were riding horses, they couldn't go faster even if they wanted to. In some places, they could only move forward slowly or get off and walk, otherwise it would be difficult to get through.
Just like the road in front of us, it is almost all cliffs. It is terrifying to jump over it on horseback, for fear that the horse's hoof will twist and they will fall down with the horse.
The soldiers of the Zhenbei Army were better off, as they all knew the local terrain and were able to navigate this seemingly dangerous section of the road. However, the civil servants from the capital felt weak all over and hesitated to move forward.
Seeing this, Liu Wei felt that this was not a solution, so he simply asked one of his men to take a civil servant away. Otherwise, if they continued to delay like this, it would give the Xianbei people an opportunity.
Except for Su Fengzhang and He Jun, other civil servants had no choice but to accept this suggestion. Obviously, life was more important than face.
He Jun was a skilled horseman and showed no fear at all. Instead, he glanced at Su Fengzhang in surprise, "I didn't expect that Lord Su, a civil official from the south, would have such a steady hand."
It's no wonder he was surprised. Su Fengzhang came from an orthodox family of scholars, and no one had ever heard that he was good at martial arts. Even though they knew that this guy was good at archery, riding a horse and shooting arrows were two different things.
"Not as good as Prince Xi." Su Fengzhang said with a smile.
He Jun glanced at the person sitting behind him and suddenly said, "A Fang, I'm free now, so why don't I take you with me?"
He Jun thought that compared to Su Fengzhang, his relationship with Prince Cheng should be closer.
Who knew that after hearing this, Prince Cheng refused without even turning his head: "No, it's troublesome to change it again."
He Jun looked at him in surprise. If it was troublesome to change people on the way, then changing people at the first resting place was a natural thing. He didn't notice that the Fourth Prince had already changed two riders in a row.
He Jun's eyes swept over Su Fengzhang and Prince Cheng. The more he looked, the more he felt that there was something fishy about the two of them. He had always had a very close relationship with Qin Fang, so he naturally knew that most of the rumors in the capital were false.
At least He Jun was very sure that although Qin Fang had not married or had children and did not seem to be interested in women, he had no interest in men either. He was like a natural-born monk.
So when the rumors about Prince Cheng and Su Fengzhang were spreading like wildfire, He Jun had joked about it, but he didn't take it seriously in his heart.
But after coming out this time, he began to doubt.
At this time, they were resting in a cave. This cave was the resting place left by the Zhenbei Army during their daily patrols. There were indeed cooking utensils and some food inside.
As soon as they got off their horses at the destination, many people sat down and couldn't get up. It was not something that ordinary people could endure to travel in such bad weather. If there was no life-threatening situation behind them, most of the delegation would probably fall down.
Liu Wei frowned slightly at this, but he also knew that this group of envoys were different from the soldiers.
"General Liu, why don't you boil some hot water now and melt the pancakes to fill your stomach and warm your body." Su Fengzhang reminded.
Liu Wei nodded. He didn't know how long the dry food he dug out from the cave had been there. The bread felt like stone and it was definitely not possible to eat it directly. Fortunately, it was cold on Yunshan Mountain, otherwise it would not be able to be kept.
A bonfire was lit in the cave, which immediately made it warmer, but this warmth could not dispel the coldness that had settled on the group.
Seeing someone warming their hands and feet near the fire, Liu Wei reminded them, "Sir, warm your hands and feet before warming them, otherwise they will get hurt easily."
Hearing this, the people around the fire quickly withdrew their hands and began to rub them. The Fourth Prince was the one closest to the fire and had the best position. He couldn't help but curse, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Liu Wei glanced at him and said coldly, "The Fourth Prince has led troops before. Yunzhou is bitterly cold. I thought everyone knew about this kind of thing."
The Fourth Prince's face darkened, anger rising in his heart: "You!"
"Fourth brother!" Prince Cheng shouted coldly, stopping him from continuing to attack.
The Fourth Prince was also a person who could not swallow his anger in the past, but the situation was stronger than him at this time. He was not a fool and knew the interests involved. Although his face was still gloomy and ugly, he did not say anything else.
However, it is not certain whether the Fourth Prince will take revenge on me after I leave Yunshan and return to Da Zhou.
Of course, now that he has caused such a big disaster, it is not certain whether he will be able to protect himself.
After this incident, the atmosphere in the cave became increasingly solemn, and for a moment everyone stopped talking.
Su Fengzhang sighed secretly and walked to the cave entrance to look outside.
The Yunshan Mountain was covered in white snow. They had to thank God for his favor. Although there was occasional light snow in the past few days, there was no blizzard. Otherwise, the journey would not have been so smooth.
When he was in Yuexi Village, Su Fengzhang liked snow very much because it was rare and also because snow would bring a good harvest. However, the snow on Yunshan Mountain brought them a lot of trouble.
The only advantage is that there is snow everywhere, and when it melts it becomes water, so there is no need to look for water sources specifically.
Suddenly, Su Fengzhang's expression changed slightly, and he turned towards the cave and shouted, "General Liu, there seems to be the sound of horse hooves."
Liu Wei's face changed drastically. He walked out of the cave and lay on the ground to listen. As expected, his brows furrowed as he heard it: "They are chasing us. Get on your horses and leave here immediately!"
The people in the cave didn't even have a sip of hot water before they started to mount their horses and move forward in a hurry.
But it is not easy to travel fast on Yunshan Mountain. The Fourth Prince was walking in the front. His face was dark blue at this time. The days when he fell into the hands of the Xianbei people made him miserable and he never wanted to recall them again.
Liu Wei's face also looked very ugly. He frowned and said, "We can't go on like this. They will catch up sooner or later!"
There were two of them on one horse, and the number of horses was not enough to replace them. However, the Xianbei people behind them were different. They must have been more well prepared than them, and they were more adapted to the weather outside the Great Zhou than the Han people of the Great Zhou.
As luck would have it, in the rush and chaos, a horse in front suddenly missed a step and fell down with both rider and horse. Apart from their screams, they didn't even have time to see their terrified faces for the last time.
This was great. The others were all scared to death, especially the Fourth Prince, who screamed.
"Shut up, don't shout so loudly!" Liu Wei shouted angrily, but the next moment he heard a rustling sound coming from the top of the mountain. His face changed drastically and he urged everyone to move forward quickly.
They had no time to mourn the two unlucky guys who fell off the cliff, because amidst the screams, the snow layer on the top of the mountain showed signs of sliding down. If they didn't leave now, they might not be able to leave!
After walking for a while, Liu Wei's expression relaxed a bit. He frowned and said, "Fortunately, the snow layer in this area is not thick, and the slope is relatively flat. Otherwise, it would be unimaginable."
The Fourth Prince's face was also pale. Knowing that he had caused trouble, he pursed his lips and remained silent.
Su Fengzhang looked at the surrounding cliffs and frowned inwardly: "If that section collapses, will the Xianbei people be unable to catch up?"
Liu Wei shook his head and said, "What a pity, I didn't hear any sound of collapse."
At this moment, a soldier dismounted and lay on the ground to listen, and warned: "General, the sound of horse hooves is getting closer, there must be a lot of them."
"Then hurry up and leave!" the Fourth Prince exclaimed.
"Sitting and waiting to die is not a solution. They are well-rested and will take advantage of us if they catch up to us." Even Liu Wei did not think that with only a dozen of them, they could stop the enemy.
The fourth prince's eyes moved, and he suddenly shouted, "General Liu, you stay and cover our retreat!"
As soon as these words were spoken, not to mention the members of the envoys, several members of the Zhenbei Army were furious and shouted angrily, "What does the Fourth Prince mean by this? Does he want General Liu to stay and die?"
The Fourth Prince shouted confidently, "Isn't it General Liu's responsibility to escort us back to the Great Zhou? Or do you have a better way?"
"Fourth brother, there are many Xianbei pursuers, and we only have a few of us. Even if we leave someone behind, we will be in danger of death." Prince Cheng reminded him. He didn't think that Liu Wei could play any role if he stayed.
Liu Wei can fight ten people at once, so can he fight a hundred people at once?
"Instead of wasting time arguing here, it's better to continue on your way!" Su Fengzhang also reminded in a cold voice.
He Jun sneered, "Your Highness the Fourth Prince, have you forgotten that if it weren't for you, none of us would be in danger this time?"
The Fourth Prince's face turned pale and blue, and he finally shouted angrily, "Alright, alright, since you are not afraid of death, then we will all die together."
Liu Wei's eyes moved slightly, and he suddenly said, "The Fourth Prince is right. If we are caught up, we will all die together."
"General!" Several Zhenbei Army soldiers exclaimed.
Liu Wei sighed and said, "I alone cannot stop the Xianbei pursuers, but it is enough to cause the collapse of the sky."
As soon as he said this, everyone present understood what he meant. Liu Wei planned to return to the area that was about to collapse and trigger an avalanche to stop the Xianbei pursuers.
Su Fengzhang quickly shouted, "General Liu, it doesn't have to be this bad."
You must know that once an avalanche occurs, there is no possibility of survival for the people below, and even their bodies cannot be recovered.
Liu Wei, however, had already made up his mind. He smiled bitterly and said, "Before we set out, I promised Meng Jiangjun that I would bring you all back safely. Now is the time for me to keep my word."
At this time, a soldier shouted, "General, let me go! I have no family ties. If I can drag the Xianbei people with me to death, it will be a worthy death."
Liu Wei glanced at him, but shook his head and said, "This can only be done by me."
Su Fengzhang and the others wanted to persuade him again, but Liu Wei raised his hand to stop them and said loudly: "Please help me, Liu Wei, to fulfill my wish."
After saying this, he looked at Su Fengzhang and said, "Master Su, if I can't come back alive, please take care of my old mother and young son who are far away in the capital!"
Su Fengzhang felt a lump in his throat. Although he knew that Liu Wei's approach would bring them great hope of survival, he could not accept the loss of a life in front of him.
"Lord Liu, I will treat them as my own mother and son, but I ask that you return safely."
Prince Cheng also said: "Please rest assured, General Liu, we will keep your righteousness in mind."
Liu Wei laughed heartily, bowed one last time, turned around and galloped away on his horse without even looking back.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
